PROCESS OVERVIEW
My process begins with the collection of data—a deeply personal and ongoing practice rooted in my daily experience of living with Type 1 Diabetes. Each day, I generate and record streams of information from my continuous glucose monitor, insulin pump, and other medical devices. These readings aren’t just numbers; they are tangible records of my body’s negotiation with the world, documenting fluctuations, challenges, and moments of stability.
At the core of my practice is the drive to make the intangible tangible. I take what is usually invisible—biological data, the constant flux of blood glucose levels, the emotional and physical realities of illness—and give it physical form. By capturing these ephemeral elements and translating them into digital models and then into wearable objects, I transform abstract information into something you can see, touch, and wear. This process not only makes the experience of living with diabetes visible to others but also gives it weight, presence, and meaning in the world.
My Islet Series is inspired by biological systems and explores the expressive possibilities that arise when different disciplines converge. I collect data from my continuous glucose monitoring system and wirelessly stream it into 3D modeling software, where numerical glucose values directly influence the characteristics and patterns of evolving three-dimensional forms. For example, a bracelet in the series represents a three-hour collection of blood glucose readings. The patterning draws from the literal meaning of Diabetes Mellitus—“siphon honey”—and incorporates the hexagonal “honeycomb” motif, reflecting both biological cell structure and the mathematically pure foundation for generating form.
Using advanced digital tools—CAD modeling, 3D printing, and digital fabrication—I transform medical information into objects that carry both clinical and emotional weight. The digital models are sent to a 3D printer, where they are built layer by layer. The moment of removing a finished piece from the printer’s bed feels much like an archaeologist revealing a fossil, connecting process, data, and material into a single, resonant object.
Materials play a central role in deepening the connection between art, medicine, and identity. The work is realized using substances directly related to the medical field, including biocompatible resins, medical-grade stainless steel, and titanium—materials chosen for their associations with medical devices and their ability to coexist safely with the body. In concert with these, I incorporate gold and silver, drawing from the history and craft of traditional jewelry practice. This pairing highlights the tension and harmony between the clinical and the personal, the functional and the beautiful.
Through this combination of data-driven design, digital fabrication, and carefully selected materials, I seek to create objects that are both artifacts of medical experience and works of art—wearable records that invite viewers to consider the intersection of health, technology, and identity in new ways.
In my exhibition, The Last Course, I transformed a lifetime of medical imaging, particularly skeletal CT scans—into the foundation of an embodied artistic practice. These scans, originally intended for diagnosis or surgical planning, now serve as anatomical scaffolding for the apergnes displayed on the table as well as in the wall hanging plateaus. Using computer-aided design, I bring these structures into view without the trauma of surgery or the finality of a postmortem state. The resulting objects become contemporary memento mori—tangible reminders of fragility and resilience, presence and absence.